


Limbo

by clefable4tw



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:34:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26167975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clefable4tw/pseuds/clefable4tw
Summary: Shino disappears during what should have been an easy away mission, and Hinata and Kiba struggle with his absence.  He is presumed dead, but what really happened?
Relationships: Aburame Shino & Hyuuga Hinata & Inuzuka Kiba, Dai-hachi-han | Team 8 & Yuuhi Kurenai
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is set when the Team Eight members are about 16-17 years old. This doesn’t follow along with the major plot of Naruto Shippuden but there are some spoilers.

The explosion of smoke bombs; Arrows and kunai whizzing by alarmingly close; Ambush.

This escort mission, a mission they had not foreseen any trouble on, had turned into a free for all battle. The smoke did not hamper Hinata’s vision, and normally long distance projectiles would be no problem for her, but she felt faint, dizzy. She deduced it was from the smoke. She attempted to make her way to clear air, but time was not on her side.

She stumbled, and her vision swirled; the chakra from her teammates, the enemy ninja, trees, insects, birds and animals fleeing the area was now indistinguishable. She was making the lightning fast decision to deactivate her Byakugan to give herself more energy to escape when she felt someone put her arm over their shoulder. Only from long time familiarity did she recognize this as Shino. But still this was not enough, and she felt herself losing consciousness.

* * *

She came to lying on her back, looking up at the tree canopy, Akamaru by her side. When she reached out to him, he licked her hand and barked. Kiba landed silently on the ground next to her a moment later.

“You okay?”

“I will be. What happened? Did you pass out too?”

“I didn’t, but I’ve been better. Akamaru and I got the smoke out with fang over fang, then Kurenai-sensai took out the rest, but we can’t find Shino. We captured the enemy scouts, but they said they’ve got no idea where he is. No one said they killed him, or thought they even gave him a bad injury. Maybe they’re lying but, I don’t think they are. I can smell it, people get nervous when they lie.

“And these guys... Let’s just say these guys aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed. Even if they are pulling a fast one on me, there’s no reason for them to take Shino. They were only interested in the Prince.”

Their current mission: Two adjoining nations were making a political alliance with the marriage of their heirs. Another nearby nation had sent a team to kidnap the husband to be – the Prince, thereby preventing the marriage – in the hope the Princess would marry their nation’s son instead.

It was a foolish plan, and when rumors of it reached the Queen, many of her advisors thought their rivals would never attempt it. But the Queen was cautious and hired Konaha ninja to escort her future son in-law. Their team was chosen.

Kiba continued. “They admitted they didn’t even have approval from their government to do this. They’re just a bunch of rogues. But back to Shino, there’s no trace of him. Those damn smoke bombs – me and Akamaru’s noses are all stuffed up. Can you check for him, when you’re up to it?”

“Of course.” Hinata quickly activated her Byakugan. The surrounding forest was returning to its normal activity, after the brief skirmish.

“I’m not seeing him. I don’t like this, Kiba.”

“That makes two of us.”

* * *

The Prince was sympathetic to their dilemma, and they camped overnight after repeatedly searching the area, but they couldn’t stay in the woods forever. They had a mission to complete. Without any further incident, they escorted the Prince to his wedding, and brought the rebels to the Queen’s guard. They then watched over the ceremony and celebrations afterward. The rebels’ nation sent effusive apologies and gifts, and it looked like the whole incident would be smoothed over. Hinata had hopes Shino would arrive during the festivities, but he did not.

As they left the love-struck nation, their moods became increasingly grim. Kurenai sent word ahead of Shino’s disappearance. The Aburame eventually made their own sweep of the area, and found nothing.

Weeks turned to months. At first, people in their dealings with her were hopeful – after all, nothing proved Shino was dead.

She and Kiba kept each other company, almost constantly, but as hope for Shino’s safe return faded, she found him intolerably painful to be around, particularly after Shino’s name was added to the memorial. That day had been horrendous, but she drew upon her ability to fade into the background, disappearing in plain sight.

She didn’t worry too much for Kiba. He was gregarious and friendly with their peers, he had the support of his clan, something she had always secretly envied, and of course his constant companion Akamaru. He would be alright. Besides, she was much calmer by herself, she always had been.

She was dimly aware that others were starting to worry about her. Her father began including her in her sister’s one-on-one training sessions with him. She appreciated the distraction from her own thoughts.

Hanabi pointed out to her that she wasn’t stuttering. She couldn’t remember when that started, if it was really a sign of her own weakness, as her father had said to her on many occasions, or if it was something she was born with.

If this had happened at any other point in her life, she would have been so grateful, so hopeful that maybe her and her father’s relationship was changing. But now, was it out of pity? She did not dwell too long on his reasoning, because his kindness only coming after the disappearance and assumed death of her teammate only served to start a cold fire in her heart.

Sakura and Ino began inviting her out for meals after their medical ninjutsu training. Brother Neji even sent Ten-Ten to talk with her. Of course neither Ten-Ten or Brother Neji said this, but Brother Neji was not the only one gifted with powers of observation. She appreciated the sentiment, and didn’t want to belittle Ten -Ten’s genuine effort as only due to his request. Again, if this had happened under any other circumstances, she would have been thrilled, but as of now, she couldn’t shake the sense that she had lost something – someone – critical, and nothing seemed they way it did before.

She began using her Byakugan to avoid coming in contact with Aburame clan members, even just passing them on the street. She early on spoke with Shino’s father, Gen. That she had last seen Shino just before she passed out, and nothing else.

She took to coming to the memorial stone every morning, and this particular morning she ran into Kakashi-sensai. He nodded to her. She nodded back. She knew, as did many in the village, how he came here each morning to honor a friend, and she timed her visits accordingly. He normally came early, but this morning he was here later than usual. She wondered if this was Kurenai-sensai’s doing. She knew her teacher was worried for her as well, but had her hands full. She was nearing the end of her pregnancy, and Asuma-sensai’s death had been crushing. She, Sakura, and Ino often visited, and Hinata did appreciate the reprieve, thinking of that new life, as a time to not think, even though she knew Kurenai sensai wanted to discuss Shino with her.

This morning, at the memorial, she surprised herself by speaking. “Does this ever get easier?” Kakashi appraised her for a moment, and she hoped he was reading her correctly. She did not want platitudes – she genuinely wanted to know - because as of right now, this weight was crushing.

“I can’t speak for everyone, but as for myself, the pain didn’t lessen, but it got easier to bear.”

“Everyone looks at me with pity, wherever I go.”

“They did that with me, too.”

“He never did that.” Hinata said, as she started to choke up. “Shino never did that. He always treated me like I was capable. He didn’t look down on me.” - ‘Like my family does.’ she added silently to herself. “He didn’t worry about me, like Kurenai-sensai and Kiba do. He just believed in me, and now he’s gone.”

A new voice – fierce and determined – made itself known. “Course I worry about you, ‘cause you do stupid shit like this!” Kiba growled as he approached from the tree line, without Akamaru, unusually. He had on a large black coat, with fur lining the inside of the hood. She was startled to find she was scared of him. This hadn’t happened in years. She’d been intimidated when they were first put on Team Eight. With his narrow pupils, the red fangs on his cheeks, and his penchant for elongating his canines, he looked ferocious, predatory.

She was also disappointed – in that she had dreamed she and Naruto would be put on the same team. She went into their first training session half hearted. She would try her best, but she didn’t have high hopes for her performance.

But, as they spent more time together, she was reminded not to judge a book by its cover. She saw Kiba’s edges soften, to reveal a someone who was passionate, courageous, and – to her astonishment – someone who actually took the time to get to her know her, saw past her shy, stuttering exterior, and liked who he found.

With Shino, she braced herself. He was so obviously skilled, that she expected him to treat her like her father, or Brother Neji did at that time – as someone far beneath him, as a burden that had been hoisted upon him. But he did nothing of the sort. She witnessed a level of patience she’d never seen before. His support was so matter of fact, as if, anything else would be illogical, and it did wonders for her self confidence. Before she knew it, these two were special, precious.

“Hey, Kakashi-sensai. Sorry – I don’t mean to disrespect the memorial.” Kakashi nodded to him.

“It’s alright, Kiba, I didn’t take offense.” Kakashi turned to Hinata, placing a hand on her shoulder. “My advice is – honor the fallen, and cherish the ones you still have.” Then he vanished.

Hinata took a moment to ready herself, before turning to face Kiba. She had a flash of intense anger. She knew Kiba was hurting, that her actions hurt him, but she didn’t want that responsibility. But, just as Shino had a piece of her heart, a knowing that came keenly into focus only after she lost it – she too had a piece of Kiba’s heart, and he had a piece of hers. She owed him this conversation. Once she’d looked him in the eye, he continued.

“You’ve been avoiding me, for ages now. What, you don’t think I miss him too? You think I don’t go through all the what ifs, that it doesn’t keep me up at night? That I don’t keep seeing him outta the corner of my eye, that I don’t cringe whenever I see one of the Aburame in their stupid trench coats?

“But you know what the worst part of it is? It’s you! I lost him, and that’s damn hard to admit – that I couldn’t track him down. But now I’ve got to lose you too? What the hell!?”

Kiba in the past and present shocked her in his willingness to feel and express himself. She tried so hard to hide her feelings- how much her father’s words hurt, how embarrassed she was to be considered an unsuitable heir, how much the branch members hatred and despair affected her, even hearing people say how creepy her eyes were – but Kiba wasn’t weakened, it made him stronger, and it helped others, because right now, she realized how much she missed him, his easy laugh, and his eyes that she now saw kindness in. While sometimes it felt like worry, she also missed how openly Kiba cared for her, and valued herfriendship.

“I’m sorry.” It wasn’t enough, but it was all she had, and she hoped Kiba would understand. They looked at each other for a hard moment, before she saw his shoulders drop and he sighed.

“Yeah, yeah. Get over here and give me a hug.” She walked forward - her legs felt like stone – and let Kiba wrap his arms around her.

“Geez, I missed you. And Ma misses you, Hana misses you, Akamaru. Come back with me, we’ll have breakfast.”

“That would be nice.” she spoke quietly, resting her head on his shoulder, and felt she could breathe – for the first time in a long time.


	2. Chapter 2

Hinata was in her bedroom, looking out at the full moon. She’d been woken by a dream, but in her heart she knew it was more than that. Shino appeared and talked with her. That alone was not odd; she had many dreams with Shino, though he was usually out of reach. She only got a glimpse of him, or called to him and he didn’t hear her. This dream was different, it was as if he was really there.

They sat together on a bench at their preferred training grounds, having a lunch she prepared for them in companionable silence. He stopped eating and said “I know you gave up your title to your sister, but I always thought you would make a fine head of the Hyuga Clan. You are the rightful heir.”

She had never shared that with Shino. In fact, she had never shared that with anyone. At the time, she thought she did the right thing. Her father was constant in his praise of Hanabi, and she knew many in the Clan believed Brother Neji to be most worthy. She thought if it was official, Hanabi the heir, won in a ‘fair’ fight, things would calm down, so even though she knew she could best her sister, she chose to throw the match. Hanabi was a hard worker, and she would now have time to prove herself.

But as they grew, she had regrets. Hanabi was a fighter more than a leader. She tended to rush in without forethought. Father lectured Hanabi many times, but to no avail.

With Brother Neji, she thought her shame would ease his suffering, that he was not the only one subject to the inanities of the Clan, but it was really only after his fight with Naruto during the Chuunin Exam, and her father’s subsequent talk with him that he found peace.

She thought back to her younger self and realized she had done her a disservice, that she had told her: ‘These others need this more than you do,’ or even ‘You are not worthy.’ But, a trusted friend just said she was.

Lastly, she thought of Naruto. He had been so many things to her: role model, hero, not-so-secret love, anescape from her own world. He too, in his own way, told her she was worthy of more than she had at the Chuunin Exam and she knew he would endorse the seemingly crazy plan that was forming in her mind: to one day lead the Hyuuga.

* * *

“You’re really going to do it, then?” asked Kiba. Hinata and he were sitting together in the shade of a tree, taking a break from training. They had resumed practice with each other, and they were seeing each other often after that morning at the memorial. Hinata devoted most of her time to training now- with the Gentle Fist style, her medical ninjutsu training, and reading about the history of the Clan, the Village, and the other Hidden Villages. She had not told anyone of her plan immediately, but she did know others were taking notice.

She asked Brother Neji to train with her a few times a week, and she was no longer holding back in practices with her sister, often leaving trainings with a stunned silence in her wake, after repeatedly knocking her sister to the floor.

After talking it over with Kiba and Kurenai-sensai, she asked her younger sister to speak in private. It was her opinion that mattered most.

“So Big Sis, what’s been up with you? I mean, what have you been taking and where can I get some? You’re a beast!’

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“What?! You really are taking something? That was just a joke, but did you find something in all your studying? I’ve noticed that too.”

“No, I’m not taking anything, but the studying, the extra training, the reason I’ve been working so hard is… I want to be heir to the Clan. I want my title back.”

“Huh.” offered Hanabi, then went quiet. That was rare for her, usually she was chattering about this or that. Hinata had prepared herself for a number of scenarios, but this was not one of them.

“Hanabi, are you angry with me?”

“No, I don’t think I am, which is weird, because I thought I would be, even just a little bit, but geez, it’s hard to fool your family isn’t it? You already know I’m not all that enthusiastic to be the leader, don’t you?”

Hinata nodded, and Hanabi continued. “When we fought for the title, it was just so hard, seeing Father picking on you all the time. I thought if I was good enough, he would stop, but he didn’t, he still kept picking on you, so I kept trying harder, and it just never stopped.”

“What? You did it to protect me?” asked Hinata, stunned.

“Yeah, I mean, we don’t always get along, and things are tough in the family, but… you’re my big sister. I didn’t want you to keep getting hurt. I knew you were trying your best, but Father just didn’t see it. I figured maybe it was all the pressure on you, if I took the spotlight, you’d feel better, maybe not be so nervous.

“And yeah, it was kind of thrilling at the time, ‘Yay, I won! I’m the heir!’ but I was little, I didn’t really get what that meant. I feel relieved, actually, that you _want_ to do it, that maybe I don’t _have_ to do it.” Hanabi laughed.

“Do you think Father will go for it?” asked Hinata.

“Only one way to find out. Are you scared?”

Hinata shook her head. And it was the truth. She felt inspired, by Hanabi’s blessing, along with Kiba and Kurenai-sensai’s. And after losing Shino, her father, even at his angriest, his most degrading, did not scare her. This path was easing her grief, after all, this was the last thing she and Shino talked about, and she wanted to have a good story when she saw him again.

“Well, time’s a wasting, and I don’t want the weight of the title anymore. Let’s talk to him as soon as we can.”

“You want to be there with me? It could get ugly.”

“That’s _why_ I want to be there. You don’t have to do everything on your own, you know.”

Hinata smiled at her, gave her little sister a hug, and replied, “I will make the arrangements.”

* * *

Later that day, Hinata and Hanabi stood outside their father’s formal meeting chamber. Hanabi gave her hand a squeeze, after they heard him give permission for them to come inside. After they settled themselves, Hiashi spoke.

“This is unusual, Hinata. What is it you wish to speak about, that you requested such a formal setting?”

“Father, I am your first born, and I want my title back. I want to be the heir.”

“I see. Hanabi, what are you thoughts on this?”

“I want you to give Big Sister her title. She is better suited than I am.”

Their father gazed at them. Many found the Hyuuga’s eyes unsettling. They had the innate knowing that nothing could truly be hidden from them. Even being Hyuuga herself, she had been on the receiving end of that all-seeing stare, but today, right now, she was not afraid. She had nothing to hide, and knew her father knew.

“You have improved dramatically as of late. I will consider this. You are dismissed.”

She and Hanabi bowed, left the room, then walked until they were out of earshot.

“That went better than I thought!” cried Hanabi happily. “For sure, I thought he would make you go into some awful essay on why you should be the heir, and why I shouldn’t be, or make us fight each other, or you’d have to fight him. But I guess your work speaks for itself.”

Hinata nodded, and while her heart warmed at her sister’s encouraging words, inside she was not so sure. She too expected to have to prove herself, to plead her case, but maybe Hanabi was right – some unspoken communication had taken place, and her father saw something in her that he never saw before.


	3. Chapter 3

Neji, along with the rest of Team Gai, was taking a break from training to have some food and drink Gai-sensai brought for them.

“Neji! Is it true? I have held in my questions out of respect for your clan’s private business, but I am afraid I cannot hold them in any longer!” exclaimed Lee.

“Well, since Lee already broke the ice - Is Hinata really in talks to be the next leader?” asked Ten-Ten.

Neji sighed. This was private family business, as Lee stated, so everyone in the village was talking about it.

He, just like everyone else in the family noticed Lady Hinata’s new found determination, but she had not confided in him her ultimate aim was to lead. He too had heard it second hand.

“Yes, it is true.”

“Amazing!” shouted Lee.

“Go girl, go!” added Ten Ten.

“Alright, enough chit chat. Let’s continue training, for today is glorious day! Are you with me!?”

“Yes, Gai-sensai!” yelled Lee, holding up his arm.

“OK! Put ‘em in there!” yelled Gai, as he lowered his hand, palm down, and stuck it out in front of himself. Lee quickly put his hand on top of Gai’s, and looked to Ten-Ten.

“I will quickly today, but only because your cooking was really good today, Sensai.” said Ten-Ten.

“That’s the spirit, Ten Ten! Neji?”

Neji prepared himself for yet another stare down with his sensai. Though this ceremony exasperated him at times, he did respect Gai’s resolve. He in his youth prided himself on the fear he could strike into the hearts of others with his cold stare. Even amongst the Hyuuga, he was known for having particularly fearsome eyes.. When he first met his team, he had the desired effect on his teammates, but never Gai. And eventually Lee and Ten-Ten stopped being afraid of him too. It was disconcerting, but in time he came to realize there was more to relationships than having people be intimidated by him, and he now enjoyed their bond as a team.

He was about to put his hand down after a respectable stare down – he still had his pride to maintain – when something caught his eye, a sudden take-off of birds in the distance. He activated his Byakugan, and saw a figure, leaning against a tree trunk.

This was unusual. Normally people gave their team a wide berth when they trained. No one wanted to be run down by Gai or Lee during one of their sprinting sessions, or be anywhere in the vicinity of Ten-Ten practicing with a new weapon. But what shocked him more was that he knew who this was.

“Follow me, now.” he announced, heading in that direction, landing gracefully on the forest floor, close enough to observe the prone figure.

“What was that about, Neji? We know you don’t like the team circle, but come on!” asked Ten Ten, somewhat exasperated.

“You still do not see him?”

“Who?” asked Lee.

Neji took a step forward. The figure looked tired, his head hanging down, his clothes smudged with dirt, but Neji still recognized him- the one Lady Hinata cried herself to sleep about.

“Shino, are you alright?”

His voice caused the figure to stir back to consciousness. His head rose, much to his team’s astonishment.

He had talked with Shino on a few occasions, mostly when he came to the Hyuuga compound to see or train with Hinata. His own teammates told him they felt uneasy at his family home, and Lady Hinata shared Kiba felt the same. When they came by, they announced their arrival, only to wait outside. Shino did not have thesame misgivings, maybe having grown up in another of the Leaf’s Noble Houses, and even Lord Hiashi greeted him on occasion.

After his initial shock at first seeing an Aburame in battle at the Chuunin Exam, he educated himself about the various insects the Aburame hosted. He learned Shino’s father was well respected, hence Lord Hiashi’s respect to his son. In a way, Shino being Lady Hinata’s teammate seemed to improve Hiashi’s attitude toward her. It changed Neji’s own view of her as well, on the occasions he witnessed her helping Shino with his taijutsu – to see her as a teacher, as someone with valuable information to share, seeing Shino respect her as an authority. It was obvious in hindsight- he felt similarly towards his teammates. Ten-Ten’s knowledge and use of ninja weapons far surpassed his own, and Lee and Gai-sensai’s mastery of taijutsu was a true marvel, but in many ways he had a difficult time seeing Lady Hinata as a fellow shinobi.

In his younger years, his rage and despair following his father’s death led him to see her as an entitled heiress who did not deserve her privilege. He was glad now for the opportunity to make amends, trainingLady Hinata, and getting to know her more, but he felt more as though she was someone he owed allegiance to, someone who needed his attention and protection, not a true companionship. In fact, he saw much ofhimself in the way Kiba interacted with her, of all people.

Kiba’s affection for her was obvious, sometimes overbearing. He worried for her, looked out for her, supported her. Following the Inuzuka’s canine tendencies, he sensed Kiba saw Lady Hinata as one of his own, and treated her accordingly.

Shino was different, out of anyone he had observed with her, he was the only to treat her as his equal. He did not coddle, as Kiba and he himself tended to do. He knew Shino cared for her, for nothing truly got past his Byukagan, but Shino’s affection was more impartial, more steady, and he had seen first hand the calming effect it had on Lady Hinata. While he and Kiba nurtured, and Naruto’s presence was like a fire to her, in Shino’s presence he – for the first time- saw the leader Lady Hinata could one day become.

Using his Byakugan now, Neji saw Shino had no serious injuries, but there was something odd. He saw the insects Shino currently was host to were not the signature parasitic beetles.

“Neji.” The acknowledgement to his voice, and recognition of who he was, gave Neji some relief, but there was also disorientation and confusion in Shino’s voice. He noticed his team was letting him lead with the questioning, so he continued.

“Do you know where you are?”

“No.”

“Do you know what day it is?”

“No.”

“We are on the outskirts of the Leaf Village. You have been missing for almost a year. Come along with us. We’ll guide you back.”

* * *

“Oh my God!” exclaimed Ten-Ten, outside of the Leaf Village hospital.

“Please, Ten-Ten, keep calm, we don’t want to arouse any suspicion.” replied Lee.

Their team had rushed to the village to speak with Lady Tsunade and get Shino an audience with her, after Neji informed them that whatever Shino was hosting, he did not recognize as insects the Aburame typically used. He did consider that the Aburame, as with all the clans, had its own secrets, but he had a bad feeling about these. In fact, he suspected that whatever they were, they were having an adverse affect on Shino himself, because he saw nothing else that explained his disorientation and confusion.

Tsunade asked them to keep quiet, at least until she could alert Shino’s family.

“I was dying to ask him what happened, but he seemed so out of it. Neji, what are you going to tell Hinata?” asked Ten-Ten.

Indeed, what would he tell her?

“I know Lady Tsunade asked us not to speak, but I feel strongly, so I will say this – Neji, I believe you should tell Hinata, at an opportune moment of course, but I will leave it up to you.” said Lee.

“May I ask why?”

“If it was you or Ten Ten, I would need to know.”

“I’d tell Kiba too, but more because I think he’ll never forgive us if we didn’t.” added Ten-Ten. “So, Lee and I will talk to Kiba, and you talk to Hinata?”

Neji considered for a moment. “Agreed.”


	4. Chapter 4

“Kiba! Kiba!” shouted Lee. Kiba turned, he’d been sitting outside, taking a break from his training.

“Hey, Lee, Ten Ten. What’s up? You want something to drink? It’s damn hot today.”

“That is very kind of you, but we have urgent news! Actually, we weren’t supposed to tell you this.”

“Oh, spit it out, Lee! You know what? Never mind, I’ll do it.” Ten Ten strode over, put her hand on Kiba’s shoulder and said. “Shino’s alive. We just saw him. He’s alive.”

They filled Kiba in on the story, as they knew it.

“But, promise me you’ll keep it under wraps until his father knows. Promise!” said Ten-Ten.

“Yeah, yeah. I promise. Thanks for doing this for me. I owe you one, but I need to be alone for a minute. You said Neji’ll tell Hinata?”

“Yes, and we understand. We’ll see you.” Lee looked hesitant to leave, but Ten Ten grabbed his arm and they started walking away. Kiba sat on the grass for he didn’t know how long, until his mother came home.

“Kid, what is wrong with you?”

“He’s alive, Ma. Shino’s alive.”

“Yeah, I heard too. You still didn’t answer my question. You look like you’re about to kill someone.” So much for everyone keeping the lid on about this.

“He was out there, all this time. Someone had him.”

“Yeah. Get up.”

“What?”

“I said ‘Get up.’ You’re gonna spar with me.”

“I don’t feel like sparrin’ with ya right now.”

“Maybe not, but you need to. I can tell you’ve been brooding for hours.”

“I said ‘I don’t feel like it!-’” He was cut off by his ma charging at him, then feigning away at the last minute.

“That was your only warning. Now get up.”

“God dammit!” he yelled, as he got to his feet. Akarmaru looked at him questioningly.

“Stay over there, Akamaru.” said Tsume. “Kuromaru, you stay out too. Just you and me, kid!”

“Fine! Bring it on, then!”

He knew his fighting was poor – their family didn’t focus on precise forms, in fact they’d often been accused of fighting like feral animals – but he was sloppy, half hearted. He knew his ma wasn’t fighting full on, but she was accomplishing her goal, getting him to move, getting him to get it out, and he laid down afterwards exhausted, but feeling better.

“Thanks, Ma. I needed that.”

“I know. Besides, I couldn’t let you walk over to the Hyuuga compound with that storm cloud over you head- though I’d love to see Hiashi’s face at a messy display of emotion, but I can’t let you walk over to the Aburame compound like that either. Gen’s got his own shit to deal with, he doesn’t need to deal with your shit too.

“And, we don’t know what happened, but it was probably fucked up. Shino’s gonna need you to be strong, not tear down the place in a rage. Now, let’s head in, have some chow. We’ll spar tomorrow.”

“Sounds good, Ma.”

* * *

Hinata stopped by late in the evening. “Hey.”

“Neji just told me. I was in talks with my father for most of the day.”

Hinata, against all odds had restored her birthright, and Hiashi was taking her under his wing – or repaying his massive karma – Kiba still didn’t like the guy.

“This is crazy. It’s great, but it’s crazy.”

“Can I tell you something?”

“Course! That’s why we’re sitting her, isn’t it?” Kiba asked, trying to lighten the mood.

“I’m… s-s-s-”

Huh. Hinata rarely stuttered in front of him anymore, but he found it was best to let her take her time.

“I’m s-s-s-scared to see him.”

“Why, you think he’s mad at you?”

He knew Hinata carried that guilt around. Heck, so did he.

“N-n-no. It’s… I talk to Shino a lot, in my head and I’m s-s-scared that... What if it’s not the same, when we see him again?”

Kiba got what she was trying to say. He was nervous too. Could they go back to the way things were before? As a team? He’d seen Sakura wish for that for years, for her team to be reunited, but the truth was she and Naruto spent years apart. Yeah, Naruto was at heart the same doofus he always was, but it wasn’t the same as having spent that time together, day in and day out. He got to see Naruto and Sakura long for the good ol’ days before Sasuke lost his shit – but Kiba could admit he would probably have lost his shit too, if he’d seen Hana murder their whole clan. But anyway, they weren’t the only ones in this village longing, and he too wondered.

“Well, let’s just take it one step at a time, but honestly, it’s hard to imagine Shino not being Shino. What would he do, talk less?”

Kiba was happy to see Hinata smile at that. “Maybe he changed hair!” Hinata improvised.

“Totally. I bet he shaved it off, just gone. ‘The reason is, it was not practical to have that much hair.’” he continued, imitating Shino’s tone, and they had a quick laugh.

“This is a crazy ride Hinata, but I’m glad to be on it with you.”

“Me too.”

“Go get some rest, you look exhausted. I’ll see you tomorrow. We’ll badger Kurenai-sensai, get her to tell us what she knows.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some media has Shino’s father’s name as Gen, instead of Shibi. Gen will be the name used in this story.

Kurenai was surprised to be called in by Lady Tsunade, with the only note being ‘urgent.’ She left Mirai with her family, whom she had moved back in with after Asuma’s death. It was late, and the hospital halls were quiet, visiting hours were over.

“Please take a seat, Kurenai, and thank you for coming in on such short notice.”

Kurenai had taken a leave of absence from all assignments to mother Mirai, and it felt strange to be back here again, on what seemed to be official business.

“What is this about, Milady?”

“I’ll get right to the point. It’s about Shino. Gai and his team found him this afternoon, alive, on the outskirts of the village.”

Kurenai was glad Tsunade had asked her to sit because in many ways this was a similar feeling to when Shikamaru told her Asuma died, a complete body shock, but opposite. There was profound relief, but also a trepidation, because where had her student been all this time?

“Is he conscious? May I speak with him?”

“He goes in and out, but yes, of course you may see him. In fact, that is precisely why I called you in here. Some elders from the Aburame have been here, but of all the times, Shino’s father is currently away from the village.”

“What is his status? Injuries? Did he say anything?”

“He doesn’t have any physical injuries. From what I can gather, I believe he was being experimented on. The insects in his body currently are not parasitic beetles, and the Aburame did not recognize them. Shino mentioned being in a laboratory, underground, but these insects seem to be effecting his mental capacity. He’s confused. Neji said he didn’t know where he was when they found him.

“Shino said he left the lab, but when I asked him why they let him go, he couldn’t say. Whatever this experiment was, it seems only half complete, and I don’t know what these insects are capable of – and Shino does not seem to have the same control over them. The Aburame told me their relationships with their insects are always symbiotic, balanced, but in this case, the bugs are taking more from Shino than they are giving back.”

“What is it you want me to do?”

At this, Tsunade’s expression softened. “Mostly I just want you to be here with him. Any information would of course be helpful, but really he just needs someone he trusts.”

Tsunade lead Kurenai to the room Shino was resting in. He was unconscious, and Kurenai took a seat next to him. It was strange. She knew Shino would be tall, and already he was taller than her, but to see him lying down reminded her of when she first met her team as genin. She had only recently became a jounin when the Third assigned her this team. She was not one of the genius shinobi, but when she found she had an affinity for genjutsu she specialized in that, much as Gai had done with his taijutsu.

She saw their potential right away, if only they could work together. Hinata being looked down upon by her family, who misinterpreted her gentleness as a lack of will, was a major block, and she could see Hinata felt less than her teammates. It was wonderful, watching her blossom, and she would always have a soft spot for Naruto for his full hearted encouragement of her at the Chunin exam, during Hinata’s match with Neji.

Her attention next went to Kiba. His pride had been hurt, in his match with Naruto, but it humbled him as well. He wasn’t so cocky, so brash after that. He didn’t take every critique as an insult, he stopped needing to prove himself to everyone else. She could see the power struggles at first, between him and Shino, and that Kiba would have enjoyed the fight of it, just as she saw Naruto and Sasuke, or Neji and Lee, even Sakura and Ino, but Shino just wouldn’t give it to him. It was amusing, Kiba’s initial attempts to rile Shino failing repeatedly, but they got used to each other, and she sensed that Kiba, with some intuition of his – to her relief – recognized Shino would be best suited to lead their team, but that didn’t mean Kiba couldn’t continue to improve.

Shino had not needed as much coaching or guidance from her as Kiba and Hinata had. She attributed that largely to their family situations. Hinata had been all but abandoned in terms of her ninja training, and her home life when they first met was almost unbearable: the neglect, guilt, and shame that Hiashi so casually heaped on his eldest daughter.

Her visit to the Inuzuka clan had been, by comparison, raucously fun. Kiba’s mother and sister welcomed her with open arms, and she was glad to see Kiba was probably better suited than most to have a kunoichi lead him, that it would in fact be familiar to him. Kiba’s home was casual, but she found Kiba actually did better with some structure, which he didn’t get at his joyfully chaotic home.

Her visit to the Aburame compound had been somewhat intimidating. She was so put off by Hiashi’s demeanor and callousness, that she lost her respect for that Noble House of the Leaf. The Akimichi while absolutely formidable in battle, had a cheerful, inviting, demeanor, and she could not compare with the Uchiha who had been decimated.

That left the Aburame – and entering their compound felt like entering an entirely different village. With their attire – the heavy coats, sunglasses, gourds – she had never felt so much like an outsider, but she was immediately impressed with Gen. His presence was calm, powerful, but not overbearing or demanding in the way Hiashi had been.

What she saw between Shino and his father was their respect for each other, that went beyond Hiashi’s domineering forced obedience, or Tsume yelling at Kiba to feed the dogs – and the sense that Gen completely supported his son. Because of that she had not felt Shino needed her the same way Hinata and Kiba had, though of course she taught him just the same. But now, seeing her most stoic student so vulnerable, without his father, she knew he needed her now.

She sat with him for half an hour or so before he came to. “Kurenai-sensai?”

“Yes?”

“Are you really here?” This question scared her more than she wanted to admit. “Yes, I am here. We’re at the hospital in the Leaf Village.”

“I am confused, because I often imagined you were there.”

Kurenai desperately wanted to know where “there” was, but felt this was not the time to ask, so she only repeated, “I am here.”


	6. Chapter 6

Tsunade sighed. Word of Shino’s return spread, but she at least got the message to the Aburame herself, instead of them hearing it on the street. But really, how could it not, with Hinata’s cousin being the one to find him. She limited his visitors to herself, Kurenai and members of the Aburame. There were too many unknowns with his situation.

The insects were acting as a mild poison, not enough to permanently damage, but enough that Shino was often lethargic, unresponsive, confused. She wondered if her former teammate Orochimaru was involved – she’d gotten word of his experiments, but he was not the only ninja who wanted to experiment in this way- there could be others, and that’s what she hoped Shino could tell them. She would give it time, but if necessary, she would ask the Yamanaka Clan to help him regain his memory.

* * *

Kurenai and Tsunade waited outside the door of Shino’s hospital room, to greet his father Gen, who was returning to the Village tonight. When he arrived, Tsunade noted he was casually dressed, for an Aburame and looked somewhat harried, but she thought in all honesty he was calmer than she would have been.Tsunade took him aside to brief him.

When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Shino up out of bed, making his way to the door.

“Dad?”

Shino was slightly slumped, holding onto the bed frame. A silent conversation took place, as Shino took a step forward, winced, then stopped himself, as if afraid what his father would say to him.

Tsunade could take a guess- though she never could truly understand what it meant to be apart of the Aburame, she knew they communicated not only with their words, but with their hives, and Shino was without his, the hive that in all likelihood his father had passed down to him. A friend of hers who was Aburame tried to explain it to her once – their hives were allies, servants, family, a physical tie to their clan. As they spoke to each other, so did their hives recognize and speak to each other.

“Like the Inuzuka, with a dog pack? Each member has their own partner or partners, but the partners recognize each other?”

“Yes, but dogs are loyal, faithful – a pack as you said. Insects are more of a group mind.”

When Gen reached out and pulled his son into his arms, she saw Shino relax. The moment was so tender, Tsunade wished she could give them space, but she still did not trust what was lurking within. They sat down to speak, and she was pleased – Shino was the clearest he had been. He remembered the escort mission, the poison smoke bombs, moving Hinata to a safer location, but even his beetles didn’t give him total immunity.

He was already disoriented when he felt someone attack him from behind, and when he woke up, he was in a holding cell. He spoke of a young woman who called herself Keiko – a scientist – who said her mission was to experiment with new types of insects. None of the experiments went well, he could not control the replacements well enough for them to ever be viable in battle. The current ones seemed alright as long as he didn’t try to get them to leave. Unfortunately, even retelling this tired him, and he fell back asleep.

She had hoped he could recall something that would aid them in removing these insects, but they were left with what they already knew- this hive was highly resistant to poison, Shino could not control them and they did not want to leave.

* * *

Kurenai spoke with Gen out in the hall.

“Thank you for being with him.”

“Of course.”

“It’s so strange. I am relieved, but… I felt for sure he had died.”

“I understand. I felt the same.”

As Kurenai returned home from the hospital, she recalled a night some months ago. She’d had a dream about Shino, where she was walking along in the village, and passed by the bridge her team often met at. Shino was standing on the side closest to her, appearing as the age she had first met him at. To her surprise, he had a gift for her.

It was a small box, and inside was a pendant with a cicada on it.

“Thank you, but Shino, what is the meaning of this?”

Just then, a woman called out to Shino, and he turned toward her. She was on the other side of the bridge. “I’m sorry, Sensai. I need to go.”

“Wait!-” But Shino walked across, and greeted the woman. Kurenai was struck by her beauty, but did not recognize her, and wondered how Shino knew her. She woke with a start, Asuma asleep by her side.

Life and death were constants in any ninja village, as well as stories of ghosts, visitations, dreams. She did not doubt this was Shino’s way of saying goodbye. She rose from the bed, and looked out onto the village. She always enjoyed the view of it at night, and she noted the full moon shining bright. While she was profoundly grateful for the dream, her heart ached and eyes teared up, because until now, she had hope that Shino was alive, somehow.

“What is it, Kurenai? Can’t sleep?” Asuma asked from the bed.

“He’s gone… Shino.”

“We can light a candle at the temple for him.

“It’s alright, he found his way.”

Asuma stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned back against him, and absently looked down at his hands touching her stomach. They had been trying for a child.


	7. Chapter 7

Tsunade was sitting in her office when Suzume walked in to report an elderly woman had walked into the hospital asking to speak with the Hokage, giving the name Keiko.

“What would you have me do, Lady Hokage?” asked Suzume.

“Bring her in.”

“Understood, Milady. I will bring her now.”

Tsunade watched as Suzume escorted a hobbled woman wearing a simple tunic into her office.

“Hello! Is Shino here? Can I see him?” Her voice, while dusty with age, had the cadence of someone much younger. Tsunade was sure this was who Shino talked about, but her appearance – what was it? A ninjutsu copy?

“Who are you?”

“You already know, don’t you? I’m sure Shino told you all about me. Only good things, I hope!”

“He said you were a young woman, a scientist.”

“Yes! But you didn’t expect me to walk in here as myself, did you?”

“Then who is this?”

“She’s a puppet. Don’t worry, I won’t hurt her, and I figured you wouldn’t either. She’s from a village nearby, not a shinobi.”

“An innocent, then?”

“It’s like an adventure for her!”

“What did you do to Shino and who do you work for? Answer me, and I will let you see him.”

“Well, I don’t really know who the top brass are. I just got recruited.”

“Recruited?

“Yeah, a guy came up to me, said he’d observed my schooling, thought I had the skills required.”

“Weren’t you suspicious?”

“No! I was fascinated! Isn’t that what we all want? Someone to pick us out of the crowd and say, ‘You’re special!’?

“It sounds dangerous.”

“It was worth it. I was so bored with school and life sucked at the orphanage. No one really got me, you know?”

“You’re an orphan?”

“Yeah, I know. Sob, sob, right? I’m not from a shinobi village, but we have our wars, same as you. Blah, blah, dull, dull, boring. So, anyway, I leapt at the chance!

“To do experiments on live subjects?”

“Oh, please, you’re a medical ninja. How do you think you got all your information? I’ll tell you, in case you’re in denial. Through experiments on live subjects of course!”

Tsunade could see she needed to change her strategy. She did have the urge to help Keiko to see the error of her ways. Her personality was confusing – part sweet, part incredibly jaded. She seemed misguided, more than anything, but she had to remind herself, many people had done cruel things in attempts at good. She had tried and failed to stop Orochimaru from going down this path.

“Whatever you put in Shino is poisoning him, and he can’t control it, but surely you knew that?”

At this, Keiko frowned. “I tried really hard to fix that! I just couldn’t get it. It really bugged me – pardon the pun!”

“Keiko, how did Shino get here? Did you let him go? How did you get here?”

“I got laid off! Bummer, right? The whole facility was being shut down, destroyed. Kablooey! All the test subjects were to be terminated, but I really like Shino, he was always – like – polite to me. Didn’t treat me like I’m dumb. Can you believe the nerve of some people?

“I tried really hard with him, checked up on him a lot. I even saved his life! One night, one of the insect hives he was hosting was too poisonous, his heart stopped! In comes Keiko to the rescue! But I really thought I lost him. I was so sad. Those darned full moons, stuff always gets crazy on full moons. You know that, working in medicine like I do!”

“Keiko, how do we get them out?”

“Well, that’s why I’m here!”

“Why should I trust you?”

“I’m really the one who should be saying that. You are the leader of a village of killers! Everyone here is a killer, but Shino got it! I was just doing my job, just like you do yours, and I did it well! But how about you ask Shino what he wants, Miss Ethics, since its his body? And clearly you’ve had no luck getting them out.” Keiko finished by crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at her.

“I will talk it over with him.”

* * *

“Shino, does that sound like her?” asked Gen.

“It does. I would like to speak with her.”

Tsunade was worried. Was this some sort of traumatic bonding scenario, an attachment to her that was clouding Shino’s judgement? As best as she could ascertain, Keiko was the only person Shino actually interacted with during all his months of captivity. But she had to admit, it was Shino’s body. Still, she wouldtake precautions.

“Alright, but you will be supervised. Suzume, please escort Keiko to Shino’s room.”

* * *

Keiko lit up as soon as she saw him. “Shino! Sorry these bugs are still causing you so much trouble! Let’s see what we can do.”

Fortunately, Keiko was sincere, and she did remove the bugs.

“I think getting out of that musty lab cleared my head! I got so many new ideas after we left!” She said farewell to Shino and the rest of them, and let go of the woman she took over with her puppet technique.


	8. Chapter 8

“Sensai, what’s the update?” asked Kiba.

Kiba and Hinata had dropped by Kurenai’s house to ask about Shino, as well as visit with Mirai, who Kiba currently had in his arms.

“He has left the hospital, and is currently resting at home. We should be able to go visit him within a few days.”

“Thank goodness!” exclaimed Hinata.

Kiba looked just as relieved, but was more casual with his words. “Good... Hey Mirai, no hair pulling! Yeah, don’t worry, you’re going to meet him too. It’s about damn time.”

Kurenai knew how hard Shino’s disappearance had been on her students. She too, had wondered if there was something else she could have done, but she had been meticulous, going over the scene of the battle, and her two students were excellent trackers. It was as though he vanished into thin air.

She’d been checking in with her students, but when she learned of Asuma’s death, she had been devastated, lost in grief. How could she be brave, for her unborn child, as well as her charges who were still suffering?

Asuma’s funeral was widely attended. She expected that. Asuma was well known, but it still amazed her, how interrelated everyone in this village became – Asuma’s students came with their families and peers; Kiba attended with his mother and sister; Hinata and Hiashi; Lady Tsunade and Shizune; Even the owner of her and Asuma’s favorite restaurant attended. But she had to admit, it was Gen’s presence that was most emotional for her, that he still honored her as his son’s sensai, even after his passing. They spoke briefly after the ceremony.

“I know this may be considered strange, but I felt the need to bring this.” It was a small box, with no wrapping, and inside was a small pendant, in fact the same pendant Shino had given to her in the dream. Kurenai was awestruck.

“This is the traditional gift we give in the Aburame clan, when a woman is expecting. I know Shino would have given one to you. I too raised my child after my spouse’s passing. It was often bittersweet, but I was alright, and I believe you will be too.”

“Thank you.” She was certain now the woman she had seen, who took Shino’s hand, was his mother. Shecould now recognize her delicate features on her son’s face. She hoped that Mirai too would have something visible of Asuma’s, to know that even though he was not here, he was not gone.

She had never expected to be with Asuma. They’d known each other since childhood. Asuma was somewhat of a celebrity in their generation– the son of the Hokage – but she’d always been impressed how he didn’t seem to let it get to him – he didn’t become overly confident to the point of arrogance, nor did it intimidate him.

She remembered clearly, the first time she thought of Asuma not as a peer and friend, but as a man. She’d been sitting at a restaurant on the street, after a tiring solo mission, when Asuma strolled in and sat down next to her. He ordered an appetizer for them to share, but there was something new, the way his dark hair absorbed the dim lights of the restaurant, the calm she felt with him, even when her nerves were down to their last fray, the warmth in her chest when he smiled at her.

She was cautious. She and a local businessman had become fond of each other a few years ago. They saw each other somewhat regularly, but she travelled often, and when he told her he had met someone and wanted to settle down, she let him go, appreciating his candor, but her heart was bruised all the same.

She wasn’t immediately sure Asuma felt the same, but after that it became almost predictable for him to pop up, and when she noticed the knowing looks on the faces of passerby, she felt assured enough to tell Asuma it was high time they went on a proper date. She’d often replayed his response to that – the initial embarrassment, then lifting his arm to rub the back of his head, but when she smiled at him, he relaxed, closed his eyes for a moment, then smiled back at her. “I guess it is.”

It was a story she would tell Mirai, when she was older.


	9. Chapter 9

Kiba was sitting out, looking up at the night sky, Akamaru by his side, letting his mind wander. Soon he got to thinking about the people in his life.

When he’d been assigned to his team, he was worried. How the hell were they all going to work together? Hinata was so shy she could barely look at him, and her only joy seemed to come from loudmouth Naruto in his ridiculous orange jump suit. Shino was so aloof he seemed to stand on his own, with no need for teammates, and Kurenai was the newly minted jounin they’d been tossed to.

It was no surprise, the Ino-Shika-Chou team was formed – it wasn’t original, but hey, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Team Seven just seemed exhausting; Naruto’s painfully obvious and unrequited crush on Sakura, ditto Sakura’s crush on Sasuke; Naruto and Sasuke’s intense dislike – or whatever it was – of each other. After theChunin Exams he got to meet Gai’s team; Genius, hardworking underdog and a headstrong kunoichi in the middle. Was everyone in this village doomed to repeat the same story over and over till they got it right?

At least his team was different. He didn’t have a crush on anybody, who knew what went on in Shino’s head, and Hinata’s affections lay elsewhere, so that was a headache he didn’t have to deal with. They could be themselves with each other. He got to appreciate there was more to Hinata, someone who was strong enough to respect herself when no one else did, and who was a soothing, steady presence in a tense spot.

Sometimes he felt isolated away from his clan, where it was a given nin-dogs were a part of life – outside he was the weird kid with a dog on his head, or tucked in his shirt, but with Shino, that didn’t bother him. Compared to the Aburame, his clan’s relationship with dogs seemed downright domestic.

Speaking of his clan, his mother was – in his opinion- the scariest in the Leaf. He was able to compare because he’d met some of his classmates’ families. A lot of them weren’t kunoichi. Being around Ino’s mother had the feeling of being next to a string that was pulled too tight; it looked okay for now, but at any moment it could snap.

Chouji’s mom was cheery, always offering a good meal. Shikamaru’s mom put up with no bullshit- he imagined dealing with her had honed Shikamaru’s genius.

Hinata’s father had a regal bearing that confused him, went against everything his ma raised him with: “Kiba, in battle, no one cares if you’ve got the best manners, how beautiful your clothes are, what house you live in. Focus on yourself, not all that outer crap. You can only be yourself in this world anyway – so fuck whatever anyone else has to say.”

And his ma did just that. You could make a whole load of complaints after dealing with Tsume Inuzuka, but you always walked away knowing you’d heard what was really on her mind.

So he’d had experience with a lot of different people but Shino stumped him for awhile. At first he tried fronting a bit but that didn’t work – and honestly their fighting styles were so different, they couldn’t really compete with each other. Yeah, he was better at taijutsu, but it was like comparing apples to oranges. The Aburame specialized, they preferred to fight in groups, or training for truly covert missions. The fact Shino did as well as he did in the one-on-one fights at the Chunin exams spoke to how clever he really was.

He’d been curious what his ma would say, after she met his teammates. He was sure she would give him a no holds barred evaluation – and she did not disappoint.

“That Hinata – she’s shy now, but she’s a diamond in the rough, and really, what the hell is wrong with young kids anyway? Anyone with eyes can tell you she’ll be a looker when she’s older.”

“Ma!”

“Mark my words. You’re gonna to need a frickin’ broom to keep ‘em away. And Shino, I respect that kid. He’s one who takes after my own heart.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“He doesn’t conform. He’s always himself, no matter what pressure he gets – his weird speech, that crazy afro – he does what he wants to do, just like me. I like him!”

It took him awhile, but eventually he agreed with his ma, and he really appreciated that about Shino – he learned you could be yourself without getting all up in someone’s face like Ma did, and when he was being painfully honest, like he did too. Shino was Shino, no matter if they were on a mission, having a meal, or walking together in silence. And he found he missed that honesty – he loved his other friends, but he found himself wishing Shikamaru would quit it with his lazy slacker attitude – everyone knew how much he cared for the village – that Chouji would quit acting like a tough guy – Kiba knew he had a heart of gold – that Ino would stop covering up her brains in her attempts to get a boyfriend.

It took him a long time to warm up to Neji – but he found he actually had a wicked sense of humor underneath that sour face, when he chose to share it. He wished Lee would let go of his constant idolizing of Gai-sensai long enough to realize he was a pretty great guy himself – that Ten Ten would stop feeling the need to mother her two brilliant, but at times intensely insecure teammates and focus on what a kick ass kunoichi she was. Why was it always like that? These genius types, their fighting skill was off the charts, but there was a certain fragility about ‘em. Guess even geniuses are human.

And he wished Sakura would drop the huge guilt complex about Sasuke long enough to realize she had a bunch of people right here who cared about her, and that Naruto would quit it with his constant shouting about being Hokage and just be himself.

He’d tried to apologize to Naruto, about how rough he’d had it as a kid, that he wished he’d been there more for him.

“You didn’t know, Kiba.”

“That’s no excuse.”

“It’s fine.”

“I’m trying to apologize to you, dumbass. Just shut up and accept my apology!”

“Then why are you calling me a dumbass, dumbass!”

But really, what was the point of all this? It was just a long winded, round about way of saying how much he missed Shino.

Kurenai told him Shino almost died on a full moon. He remembered a night with a full moon – he felt Shino come and say goodbye, in some half awake, half asleep state he’d been in at the time. He immediately tried to argue it. “Don’t you dare leave.”

“I owe you thanks, because you have been my friend.”

“Then do me a favor and don’t go.”

“You will be alright.”

“I’d like to be more than ‘alright,’ thanks.”

“You will be alright.”

“Look, I don’t want to hear that right now. Especially from you.”

“In many ways, I believe you are the strongest member of our team. The reason being, you are rather like water – if you cannot get through headfirst, you go around. And if you cannot go around, you wear them down. I am stubborn, as you have said. Sometimes I need to bend and I do not, where sometimes Hinata bends when she should not.

“While I’m happy that you’re finally agreeing with me, what part of ‘This is not helping,’ do you not understand here?”

“Farewell, Kiba.”

He continued laying in bed, but he was super tense, so he got up and walked over to his sister’s room. He made sure to knock. When he was younger, he had burst in there and found Hana in bed her boyfriend. She was not happy about it.

“Sis, you awake?”

The door opened, revealing his sister, looking tired, running a hand through her hair.

“Yeah, baby. What happened?”

“It’s stupid Shino, and his stupid cryptic messages. I think he’s gone, you know, really gone.”

He made his away over to her bed, empty tonight, and laid down. Akamaru followed him and found a spot on the floor not currently occupied by the three Haimaru brothers. He often visited with Hana when he was upset. He had a lot of nightmares as a kid, hence his habit of just bursting in. He told her what happened.

“And then he cut if off on his own terms, just like he always does!” He was glad Hana did not point out the reason he did this was probably because Shino was dead, or try to argue with him about did this really happen or not. He knew he wasn’t making a lot of sense, but he also knew he would feel better if he got this out.

“Well, what would you say to him, right now?”

“You know, ‘I love you. I miss you. I wish I knew what happened to you.’”

“Now he knows. So go to sleep.”

With her words, and the presence of their dogs, that was enough, and he did just that.


	10. Chapter 10

Shino was resting at home. He was tired, but for the first time since this all started, his head felt clear. After he had moved Hinata out of the smoke, he was surprised to feel it affect him too. He passed out, and when he awoke, he was in a holding cell, restrained. He’d tried to get out, but it was no use. He suspected he was underground; there were no windows, and the air had a damp feel.

The suspense didn’t last long. He met Keiko right away. “Hi there! My name is Keiko! Nice to meet you! Let’s take good care of each other, all right?

“So you’re probably thinking – like - where am I? I can’t tell you everything, but this is a science lab, and I know it’s a bummer for you but the higher ups totally wanted an insect user to study, and you drew the short straw. You know, metaphorically, because literally you got drugged and taken here. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make the most of it, right?”

It seemed the researchers had various insects they had bred and wanted to see what they would do to their host and how effective in battle they would be.

Shino supposed it could be worse. He did need to remove his hive, but Keiko let him keep his own insects in a jug similar to the ones his clan used. Apparently the higher ups weren’t interested in studying parasitic beetles anymore.

Some of the insects were poisonous – though none matched the lethality of his clan’s nano-sized venomous insects. Some were specifically for surveillance. The ones he ultimately had so much trouble with were a poisonous, chakra eating hybrid.

“The higher ups sure are greedy, aren’t they?”

This hive seemed to have ideas of its own, did not want to leave, and was remarkably resilient against other poisons.

One night, Keiko tried a new method to remove them, which did weaken them, but weakened him as well, since they were eating his chakra to heal themselves. He had not realized how bad it was, when he closed his eyes to rest, until he woke the next day, with Keiko looking harried and saying “Thank goodness! I thought I’d lost you!”

He thought that strange, that he’d been going about the business of dying whilst having no conscious awareness of it, and it scared him, because that was how his mother died- unexpectedly in her sleep. He always looked for reasons – causes and effects – and never understanding the cause of his mother’s death haunted him.

He spent a lot of time by himself in that cell. He meditated often. His father had taught him how, and he felt closer to him when he did so. It helped him as a child, because when he was agitated, his hive became agitated, which agitated him even more, commencing a downward spiral. He had to learn that his internal resources, his moods, his chakra, his body, were not just his own. That was overwhelming to him when he was young, and his father’s meditation lessons helped him to calm down, to center himself.

He reminisced about his early school days. They were a diverse group. Each of the Leaf’s Four Noble Clans were represented, which was now rare, as Sasuke Uchiha was the only remaining Uchiha within the Village. Many of the smaller clans were also present: Nara, Yamanaka, Inuzuka, Haruno.

Their teacher, Iruka-sensai was often at his wits end with Naruto Uzumaki, but Shino knew that their sensai was fond of him, and that there was something odd about Naruto – why did he seem to hold the ire of so many of the older villagers? Now he understood.

He had often wondered, who here would go on to become genin, chunin, jounin. Who would he be put on a team with. Torune had stressed the importance of friendship, but Shino was still unsure. As an Aburame ninja, he was destined for mainly solo missions or missions with his own family. Many members of his family went into ANBU Black Ops.

From what he had heard and seen with his own family, some genin teams formed lasting friendships, some did not. It wasn’t that he didn’t think friendship had any value, but making friends had never come easily to him, even within his own clan. And friends or not, all teams needed to complete assignments, so he focused on his studies.

When Iruka sensai announced the members of Team Eight, he was somewhat puzzled. He knew Kiba and Hinata were most skilled in close range combat. Kiba was a brash fighter, too brash at times, at Hinata was cautious, too cautious at times.

He knew Hinata was disappointed to not be on the same team as Naruto. Kiba was friendly with many of their classmates, so it was low odds that he ended up with two teammates who he hadn’t spent much time with. Shino knew the teams were assigned based on each student’s performance, with the goal of each team being equal based on the average of all three members – hence Naruto, with the lowest performance, and Sasuke with the highest, to balance each other, but his team seemed less extreme. He wasn’t privy to his peers exam scores, but he had seen them in class exercises and bouts, and all three of them tended to do well.

When they met Kurenai-sensai, and she told them genjutsu was her specialty, he wondered then, what did those team averages really mean, if you could become a jounin by specializing in one discipline, when their grades were an average of many disciplines? An example of the difference between theoretical and practical applications.

But he was pleased, after they all started training. They worked well together, were able to accomplish the practice missions Kurenai-sensai assigned them, and they did do well at the Chunin Exams, better than anyone expected a rookie team to.

But still, he wondered, what was the difference between teamwork and friendship? He looked after his teammates on missions, and helped them in their training, giving advice and criticism as he saw fit, but wasn’t that logical? They had a common goal, and for the sake of that common goal, it made sense to support each other.

He thought maybe he had his answer, or at least part of his answer, when he realized he not only felt safe with his teammates, but calm with them, and at the first sight of them and hearing their voices at the beginning of training, he felt content, similar to how he felt around his father.

Keiko did keep him company – her manner was bizarre to him at first, but he did grow accustomed to her, and he could appreciate, in a detached way, her keen mind. He wondered what had happened in her past – how had she come to be in a place like this – but she rarely mentioned her personal life – and when she did, she didn’t sound calm, and he thought it imperative – to have any chance of escaping here – that Keiko remain content.

He did appreciate that Keiko was not at all disturbed by him being host to insects, to his speech, to his dislike of small chat, and though she was cheery, he had the idea she too, did not fit in well, hence her thinking this was the ideal situation and place to be. He tried to treat her as respectfully as he could, though when he was alone, he was furious at his helplessness.

Fortunately, his plan did pay off when Keiko snuck into his room early one morning, saying “We need to go now.” She took him out through an escape tunnel, as they heard explosions behind them. The facility was being destroyed. Keiko did not explain, and Shino did not ask. “Well, Shino, you’re free! I hope you remember me kindly! But I’ve got other things to do, so see ya!”

He had no idea what those other things would be, but again, he did not ask. He slowly made his way to the Leaf Village, but he felt weaker and weaker as the days went on. Keiko at the lab had given him medicine to counteract the bugs to some degree, but now he was on his own. He rested frequently, as he had been, when Neji found him. But astonishingly, he had made it home.

He’d enjoyed hearing Kurenai-sensai talk of her daughter, saddened by Asuma-sensai’s death, happy forHinata, that her skill and determination were finally recognized, wanting to know more about what had happened in Kiba’s life, but this all felt surreal, like a dream.

He spent a lot of time at first resting in bed. Even though it was his own bed, he had spent so many months in a single room that he resisted resting there. To appease him, his father sat with him and told him village and clan news. At night, they sat on the porch together, watching the sunset, then the fireflies come out at night, often joined by other clan members. It was good to be home.

When he felt stronger, Kurenai-sensai asked if he was ready for a team visit, he said he was, and his father now walked in, announcing their arrival.

Shino made his way out front, surprised at his sudden bout of nervousness, but before he could think too much more about it, he heard great paws pads bounding through the hall, then Akamaru appeared before him. Akamaru, while mostly sticking by Kiba – did have his own greetings for him, Hinata, and Kurenai-sensai. The massive canine immediately nudged his hand with his huge head and gave a whine. “I missed you too, Akamaru.”

“Akamaru! Get back here! Geez, I can’t believe you did this.” he heard Kiba’s voice before Kiba himself rounded the corner. He and Kiba appraised each other for a moment. Kiba looked different – he was taller, his shoulders wider, his face more mature. Shino chided himself for not considering this, for he too had grown.

“Kiba, Akamaru, where are you?” called Hinata as she rounded the corner as well.

Hinata looked more as he remembered her, though she had her hair pulled back, a style he have never seen on her. He was again keenly aware of the time that had passed, where their lives had continued on without each other.

“Fuck, man, you look awful.” said Kiba, shaking his head. His appetite had been low for a long time now, and he was just starting to get it back, and his skin still retained a certain sallowness. That too was improving, though he supposed Kiba’s summary was more succinct.

“K-K-Kiba!”

“It’s true, but damn it all to hell, I missed you.”

“We missed you!” Hinata added.

“I missed you too.”

“You want to sit and chat for a bit? Don’t worry, sensai’s talking with you dad. We’ve got time.” said Kiba.

“I’d like that.”

* * *

“She is beautiful, Kurenai.” said Gen.

“Thank you.” Kurenai briefly held Mirai in her arms, but she preferred to be crawling. She laughed remembering Shikamaru’s exasperation after he attempted to take Mirai cloud watching with him. “No disrespect to you and Asuma, because I love this kid, but seriously, this is a lot of work!”

But speaking of mothering, there was a question she had wanted to ask Gen. “I know this may seem a strange request, but could I see a photo of Shino’s mother?”

Gen looked momentarily surprised, but then his features softened. “Yes, I have one here.”

Kurenai inspected the photo, and knew she was the woman in her dream.

“Shino takes after her quite a bit.”

“He does. He is named after her as well. Her name is Shiho.”

“The reason I ask is… At the hospital, when you told me you were sure Shino had died, I was sure too. I feltthat way because of a dream I had. He told me he was going, and Shiho was there. This is the first photo I have seen of her, but I recognize her. I wanted you to know that.”

There was a pause, and Kurenai questioned her decision to share this. But, she felt a kinship with Gen, not only because he was Shino’s father, but for his kind words at Asuma’s funeral – another person who had walked this path, a widower.

“I… feel Asuma around, and I know Shiho was here, watching over too. I’m sorry if I’ve crossed a line saying this to you.”

Gen sighed. “You have not, and I thank you for it. I was remembering Shiho’s passing. It was sudden, in her sleep. It was difficult to explain to myself, let alone to my son, who was not even speaking yet.

“My clan... encouraged me to take another wife, have another child, to… let Shino be raised by the elders. I believe they thought that by starting over, I could somehow move past my grief – and I know many marriage vows end with death – but the idea was abhorrent to me. In my own heart, my vows were not over. I needed to raise our child, and I did, against the wishes of the clan leader.

“Later, Danzo came recruiting for ANBU Root. He wanted to take my son. The clan agreed, and I could see no way out. I confess, I considered leaving the village and taking him with me. Before I had decided, another volunteered to take Shino’s place, a boy by the name of Torune, whom I fostered after he was orphaned.”

“After Shino disappeared, I thought ‘I have crossed fate too many times. I can’t keep hold of this child.’ I was distraught. One evening, I asked Shiho for a sign and I eventually had a dream. She said I had done well, and she would take care of Shino from now on. I assumed he had passed.”

“Was the dream on the full moon, by any chance?”

“Yes. Is that when yours was?”

“Yes, and Keiko said…”

“Shino almost died, on a full moon.”

“But Keiko intervened.”

They sat in silence for moment, processing their thoughts, until she heard Kiba’s triumphant voice. “It’s official, the team is back together! Come on over, Sensai!” Her heart warmed at the sight of her three students together, despite the odds. It was easier to wrap her arms around them when they were kids, but she managed again. Shino held Mirai for the first time, in the serious manner he approached everything. They did not stay long, Shino tired quickly, but they would meet again the next day. She could see Kiba and Hinata’s initial fear – she remembered her own surprise at seeing the normally impregnable Shino weakened, but they had been a team a long time, and they found their rhythm sure enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Shino and Torune events mentioned in this chapter are shown in the Naruto Shippuden filler episode 317, Shino vs. Torune.


	11. Chapter 11

As Shino started feeling better, he began walking around the clan grounds and when he mentioned that to his team, they asked if they could accompany him on one of his bug catching missions into the surrounding woods, and that is how they came to be wandering through on a warm summer day, he with his bug catching net and carrying case, Hinata with food, Kiba and Akamaru with drinks, and Kurenai with Mirai.

“Hey Shino, how much of your time as a kid did you spend doing this?” asked Kiba.

“It was my favorite thing to do, as such I spent most of my free time searching, when I was not training or at the Academy.”

“Yeah, Akamaru and me spent a lot of time walking around. We liked following the scent trails of different critters. Didn’t we, boy!” Akamaru yipped in return, and Kiba continued, “So what, your dad went with you, or did you just come out here by yourself and look around?”

Shino paused. Most of the time he had come out here alone, but during the brief period of time Torune was in his life, he had accompanied him. He had never told his teammates about Torune. That incident was still painful and unsettling to him. But, today he felt like sharing.

“Mostly, but for a time there was someone in my clan who would come with me. His name is Torune.”

“I don’t recall you talking about a Torune. Have we met him before?” asked Hinata.

“No… He was recruited into ANBU Root when we were young. Actually, I was supposed to go, but he offered to go in my place. It’s unknown what happened to him.”

“That’s heavy shit man. I’ve heard of ‘em, but my clan isn’t particularly well suited for that stuff. They didn’t come knocking at our door.”

“They did at the Hyuuga. Some of my relatives were recruited as well. I’m glad that branch was shut down. I’m sorry, Shino, it sounds like you were close. But… selfishly, I am glad, it was him, and not you. I thank him for his sacrifice.”

“Yeah, cheers to you, Torune.” said Kiba, holding up his bottle of soda.

“Hear, hear.” replied Kurenai, with Mirai attempting to mimic her, earning a laugh from the rest of them.

Shino thought of Torune, and how important friendship was to him. To honor him, Shino had thought long and hard about what it meant, to be a friend, and for a long time he felt perturbed, because he couldn’t figure it out when Torune had sacrificed so much.

He first thought it was about being a good fellow shinobi, but he had come to learn it was more than that. Taking today for example, they were simply enjoying one another’s company, each on their own paths that sometimes ran parallel, as they had when he, Hinata, and Kiba were students at the Academy. They were aware of each other, but their paths did not truly cross, along with Kurenai-sensai’s, until they were put together as Team Eight.

And sometimes their paths diverged, as his had, when he was captured, but today, in this particular section of the woods, in their corner of the world, their paths were running together, and he too was grateful to Torune, for this chance, and grateful to his teammates, for being here with him now, and hopefully, for whatever journey lay ahead.

**Finito**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to anyone who got through to the end of this. I put angst as a tag, and though there was a certain suspended, treading water feeling to this – which is what I wanted to get across with the title Limbo – I hope that the strength and perseverance of the characters also came through, and also the idea of support coming from both expected and unexpected places and the impacts a whole group of interconnected people can have on each other.


End file.
